3,000 Softcovers Donated for Incarcerated Readers

Did you know that most prisons don’t permit hardcover books? That means people inside often have to wait a year to access new releases—if they can access them at all.

That’s why I’m excited to share some amazing news: for the first time, Penguin Press and Penguin Random House have produced a special softcover edition of my upcoming book, The Jailhouse Lawyer, just for incarcerated readers. Even better, they’re donating 3,000 copies so the book can reach readers inside without delay—thanks in part to you!

Our matching campaign was a huge success.

When Penguin Press offered to donate 1,000 copies of The Jailhouse Lawyer for incarcerated readers, we asked if we could double that number through a matching campaign, and they said yes. Our goal was 1,000 more copies, but in the end, the overwhelming demand meant Penguin Press agreed to print an additional 2,000 copies!

Now, 3,000 copies of The Jailhouse Lawyer have been distributed to individuals inside prisons and jails.

Thanks to you—our supporters—and to our publisher, Penguin Press, The Jailhouse Lawyer is available to many incarcerated readers at the same time as the general public.

Knowing how much stories of survival meant to me on the inside, I’m overjoyed that this book has reached one of my most valued reading communities.

Thank you for supporting not just me and Sophie, but also those who remain behind bars.

— Calvin